LEGAL POT CASE MADE

No federal government has dealt effectively with the drug trade. There are
two major reasons for this failure.

First, the government, the opposition and the public are divided on this
contentious issue. This profound division can be compared to the debate on
capital punishment.

Second, Uncle Sam's War on Drugs is a failure as all kinds of drugs are
readily available in Canada and the U.S.

Although I am encouraged that the government is taking another stab at
decriminalizing pot, the new/old bill is not realistic. Justice Minister
Irwin Cotler is proposing to decriminalize marijuana use for possession of
less than 15 grams, but the old proposal allowed 30 grams. He also included
harsher penalties for marijuana grow-ops by doubling maximum prison terms
to 14 years from the current seven. In view of recent reports of greater
drug use than ever across Canada, is this proposed bill realistic?

The first innovative glimmer of hope is the first safe-injection site in
Canada opened in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver early in 2003. The site
is open 18 hours a day, seven days a week. Almost 600 users go to the site
daily, and there have been no deaths from overdose. It will be evaluated at
the end of the three-year project.

In Victoria there have been a few meetings sponsored by churches and the
City of Victoria on safe-injection sites but nothing tangible yet.

The growing deterioration of downtown Victoria led to two 20-20 Conferences
(November 2003 and March 2004). The several hundred public-spirited people
who came together recommended better use of space, improving transit,
increasing downtown residences and encouraging more educational facilities
downtown.

I am disappointed the participants did not address the two major social
challenges of downtown: homelessness and drug addiction.

Winter is fast approaching. The Open Door is under siege as the number of
homeless increases due to the closing of substandard houses and rising
rents and the changes in the income-assistance policies. The Victoria Cool
Aid Society served 3,400 clients in the first six months of 2004 compared
to 1,700 in all of 2003. Every night they have to turn away people for lack
of room - giving them a blanket instead of a bed indoors.

Is it reasonable to expect the downtown social service providers to "fix"
the social problems of homelessness and drug addiction downtown?

Our downtown calls for a comprehensive strategy. It is obvious that the
market by itself cannot respond to these social challenges. The Social
Planning Council of Greater Victoria is uniquely placed to bring together
all the municipalities, the CRD, the provincial and federal governments and
the many social housing organizations to develop an action plan similar to
the one in Vancouver, The Homeless Action Plan, 2004.

I refuse to go along with the charade of drug enforcement any longer. I
support the legalization, regulation and taxation of marijuana, which has
been recommended by many commissioned reports going back at least 30 years
and recently by the conservative Fraser Institute. I understand that many
people have serious misgivings about legalizing marijuana, but what is the
alternative?

Even Insp. Grant Smith, a 25-year veteran of the Victoria Police, stated he
would seriously consider supporting and legalizing all drugs so authorities
can treat it as an addiction rather than an illegal activity. Instead of
legalizing all drugs, I believe I am more realistic.

I recommend a thorough overhaul of pot laws by an all-party special House
of Commons committee. This committee has adequate funds to travel across
the country to listen to Canadians. This committee is responsible until the
recommendations are accepted by the government and tabled in the House. Its
task is completed within two years of the Committee's appointment.

Bernice Levitz Packford

Victoria